Anyone have an opinion on how long Papi can keep being Papi? Personally I'm a little surprised that he's still the man at 37, but from what he's showed this year he looks like he could play at a very high level for at least 2 more years, maybe 3. I think the Red Sox need to give the man his wheelchair contract. Maybe give him a C for his jersey too.

Anyone have an opinion on how long Papi can keep being Papi? Personally I'm a little surprised that he's still the man at 37, but from what he's showed this year he looks like he could play at a very high level for at least 2 more years, maybe 3. I think the Red Sox need to give the man his wheelchair contract. Maybe give him a C for his jersey too.Posted by carnie

This is the last you'll see of him in Boston. The new league alignment means more inter-league games, and Ortiz is a liability to the line-up. The Sox are not going to put AGon in the outfield, nor pay Ortiz $15M to sit for a week.

Anyone have an opinion on how long Papi can keep being Papi? Personally I'm a little surprised that he's still the man at 37, but from what he's showed this year he looks like he could play at a very high level for at least 2 more years, maybe 3. I think the Red Sox need to give the man his wheelchair contract. Maybe give him a C for his jersey too.Posted by carnie

David will have more good years but unless we can pull off a miracle salary dump before next season I think its Papi's last season in Boston.

If Ortiz could play every game from now until the end of the season, he would come in at 143 games, which is in line with what he played the last two years 146 in 2011 and 145 in 2010, but since he can't play every game until the end of the season, he will finish with fewer games, even though, this has been one of his finest seasons, conditiong wise. It is reasonable to expect that next year he would miss a few more games due to needing rest, matchups and such, but once you throw in 15 more NL style games, the most he could reasonably be expected to play is 125. He would barely get to 500 PA, if at all. the contract you propose puts all the risk on Papi, the same issue he has been moaning about for years. The other problem with giving him forced rest, is the time it takes to get his swing back after sitting around, now throw in the automatic benching because of the road games in NL cities, which is just as likely to occur when he's on a hot streak, under this type of playing arangement, I don't see him being the David Ortix of old. Are the Sox willing to pay full time serious money for a some-time player? Any projection of his production shouldn't exceed 20 HR or 80 RBI...How much would you pay for that?

In Response to How Long Can David Ortiz Play? : This is the last you'll see of him in Boston. The new league alignment means more inter-league games, and Ortiz is a liability to the line-up. The Sox are not going to put AGon in the outfield, nor pay Ortiz $15M to sit for a week.Posted by Middlebrooks

There will be the same amount of interleague games, they will just be spread out more over the course of the season. Most every day will have an interleague game.

As for the OP, I can see him play 2 more seasons at a high level. I don't think any team will offer him what the Sox will (or at least should).

In Response to Re: How Long Can David Ortiz Play? : There will be the same amount of interleague games, they will just be spread out more over the course of the season. Most every day will have an interleague game. As for the OP, I can see him play 2 more seasons at a high level. I don't think any team will offer him what the Sox will (or at least should). Posted by fizsh

From what I've gathered, each tam will play the same amount of interleague games as everyone else, but it will be more than what they currently play.

In Response to Re: How Long Can David Ortiz Play? : There will be the same amount of interleague games, they will just be spread out more over the course of the season. Most every day will have an interleague game. As for the OP, I can see him play 2 more seasons at a high level. I don't think any team will offer him what the Sox will (or at least should). Posted by fizsh

I thought I had read we were going from 18 interleague games to 30, but I just checked on this and read it was only going to 20.

In Response to Re: How Long Can David Ortiz Play? : moon, I don't think that works. The third year is a club option so it's not counted as a year for AAV. If it was a player option it would be counted, as with the option Beltre had with us. Also I don't think you can give incentives for performance marks like OPS. Posted by Hfxsoxnut

Hfx,

OPS is much more important to a team if its well balanced. I would take a guy that has a good OBP with decent power over a slugger anytime.

In Response to Re: How Long Can David Ortiz Play? : Hfx, OPS is only important to a team if its well balanced. I would take a guy that has a good OBP with decent power over a slugger anytime.Posted by craze4sox

I was just responding to the idea of giving incentive bonuses for OPS. I don't think that's allowed. I think the only allowable incentives are for things like plate appearances or starts, and placings in award votings like MVP or Cy Young.

Middlebrooks and Hfx, I did not see that. If that is true, I like this even less (not for Papi per se, but for the entire interleague process). Unless it is a step to get both leagues to use the same rules.

And Hfx, that is correct, you cannot give performace based bonuses on statistics like OPS, Avg, HR, etc. They must be for either awards (place in MVP or Cy Young voting, GG, All-Star game) or stats like games played, plate appearances and games finished (important for closers since they cannot use saves)

Houston is moving to the AL next year. Having 15 teams in each league is what necessitates having interleague games all year. Posted by Hfxsoxnut

I knew this was happening, I just didn't know they would increase the number of interleague games. So, I guess they will play 6 games (3 home and 3 away) vs one division in the NL, 6 games vs each team in the AL Central and AL West and 18 games in the AL East? 30 + 60 + 72 = 162. I figured they might go 18 IL, 8 vs each in Central and West and 16 vs East. 18 + 80 + 64 = 162.

In Response to Re: How Long Can David Ortiz Play? : I knew this was happening, I just didn't know they would increase the number of interleague games. So, I guess they will play 6 games (3 home and 3 away) vs one division in the NL, 6 games vs each team in the AL Central and AL West and 18 games in the AL East? 30 + 60 + 72 = 162. I figured they might go 18 IL, 8 vs each in Central and West and 16 vs East. 18 + 80 + 64 = 162.Posted by fizsh

As I said I thought they were going to increase to 30 interleague games but now what I'm reading is that it won't be more than 20, so only a minor increase.

. I think the Red Sox need to give the man his wheelchair contract. Yes, they should. Also, "wheelchair contract" is the intellectually trademarked property of the legendary poster "Softlaw".Posted by TrotterNixon

I just wanted to see you say you liked a wheelchair contract on the record, so to speak.